Apple has filed for a patent (number US 20230095412 A1) for “power allocation in multi-port power adapters.” It involves a small power adapter capable of charging multiple devices.
Apple wants to make power adapters having a small-form factor that can deliver a large amount of power, can charge multiple electronic devices, and can allocate power between the multiple electronic devices in an efficient manner.
Obviously, the number of types of electronic devices that are commercially available has increased tremendously the past few years and the rate of introduction of new devices shows no signs of abating. Devices such as iPhones, iPads, Mac desktops, Mac laptops, Apple Watches, and more have become ubiquitous.
Many of these are portable devices with internal batteries that can be charged through a cable connected to a power adapter, which can convert AC power at a wall outlet to DC power that can be used by the portable device to charge its internal batteries.
Users often need to take these power adapters with them. Apple says that, for this and other reasons, it’s desirable that these power adapters have a small form factor. But some of these portable electronic devices can have large internal batteries, and users might want to charge these batteries quickly.
For example, they might have only a limited time to access a wall outlet before needing to leave. Apple says that what’s needed is that these power adapters be able to provide a great deal of power despite their limited size.
Naturally, most of us also often have more than one device that needs to be charged. For example, folks might want to work on a MacBook Air while charging an iPhone.
This means it would be convenient to have a power adapter able to charge more than one device at a time. However, in some circumstances, one device might need more power than another device being simultaneously charged.
Apple says that what’s needed is a power adapter able to allocate power between the multiple electronic devices in an efficient manner. In other words, the tech giant is exploring “power adapters having a small form factor, are capable of delivering a large amount of power, can charge multiple electronic devices, and can allocate power among the multiple electronic devices in an efficient manner.”
